


Call it Even

by Yangry



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: AU where Chris stays in the shed instead of Mike, AU where Josh Survives, Climbing Class, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 11:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4918396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yangry/pseuds/Yangry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even after all that Josh had done, Chris knew that there was something worth saving, there'd be a light amidst the darkness even if Josh couldn't see it himself. Chris would die for the chance that Josh could be happy again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Call it Even

 

After Mike had left, Josh turned quiet.

Chris sighed, slumping onto the floor and ducking his head down. It had been a long night, so long, and if it wasn’t for the thoughts whirring around in his head, he’d have fallen asleep then and there.

He shot himself instead of Ashley.

He almost took pride in the fact that he could, in that circumstance, be selfless. He’d always thought- when in the movies, when someone made a sacrifice- what he’d do in that situation. And now he knew. He’d die like a hero. He almost smiled. If it was real, if there had been a killer, if his brains had splattered onto that concrete floor, he would have been a hero, a martyr. He would’ve been a fucking hero.

He chose Josh.

In his head, he knew that he should have chose not to pull the lever, let the chips fall where they may, have that killer shoot him in the head. But he’d chosen Josh. It didn’t work out the way it was supposed to, it hurt so bad to look at Ashley and condemn her to death, but what was done was done.

“I’m sorry, man.”

Josh slurred. Chris looked at him, unsure of what to say. His anger had died down now, and looking at Josh, he couldn’t possibly see anything within him that could have killed Jess. He knew that.

“I know you are.” Chris nodded. “We need to get you off this mountain and get you back on those meds in the morning.”

“But-”

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll see Dr. Hill again.” Chris said flatly. “And I guess I should be apologizing too.”

“For what?”

“For being a shit excuse for a best friend. I should have known this would happen, I should’ve saw it coming, I should have been there for you.” Chris mumbled. Josh didn’t reply, though looked sadly at him and then to the floor. “I’m so sorry, Josh.”

There was a silence.

“You didn’t accept my apology.” Josh said a minute later, in a matter-of-fact tone. “I guess it’ll take a bit more than that.”

“We all have some- something to talk about.” Chris sighed.

“The next few days are gonna be anything but fun.”

There was another silence, before Josh spoke again.

“We could call it even, you know.” Chris smiled weakly.

“In some shitty, messed-up kind of way, I guess you could.”

“So I have you?”

Chris frowned for a few seconds, confused. “You know- you aren’t gonna leave me, or anything-”

“No, no, you don’t deserve that. You have me.” Chris nodded in agreement. “You have me.”

Josh turned his head away from Chris and sniffed, before trying to wipe his nose on his shoulder. Chris decided then to shuffle over and free his hands.

“If Mike comes back, let me take the blame.” Chris said, untying the rope binding Josh’s wrists. “It must’ve been fucking awful to have that gun pointed at you.”

Before Josh could reply, they heard a high-pitched scream cut through the night. Chris felt his stomach drop, and watched the color drain out of Josh’s face.

“Who was that?” He asked, reaching towards Chris. He helped him to his feet and they both left the shed.

“It has to be Emily.” Chris whispered. “Josh, for the love of God, you didn’t have any traps you forgot about, did you? Because the last thing I want is for you to have the shit kicked out of you by Mike again.”

“No, no, there was nothing other than the shed and the lodge and the scarecrow-”

“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me if there's something else on this damn mountain-” Chris seethed. “Come on, it might not be safe, we need to get to the lodge.”

Chris almost dragged Josh down the path towards the house, looking around him constantly, expecting a bear or wolf to leap out at them. There was nothing else that could be on the mountain other than that that could hurt them, there couldn’t be. After a minute of half-running, half-jogging down the path, Josh tugged at Chris to stop. He was looking, horrified, behind him, but as far as Chris could see, there was nothing there.

“Josh, what’s wrong? I can’t see anything-”

“You can’t see her?”

“See who?”

“Beth.”

“Beth? Where?”

“No, she’s not real, she’s not real-”

Chris was losing his nerve. “Josh, please, what are you seeing?”

“It’s Beth! But she’s dead- she’s dead- she’s standing there, pointing at me, but she isn’t real, I know she isn’t- she’s dead-”

 “Josh, are you-are you hallucinating?”

“I don’t know, but I see her-”

“Josh, close your eyes, then you can’t see her, OK? Turn around, c’mon, I’ll help you.” Josh nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, leaning into Chris. Chris wrapped his arm around him and led him towards the house, trying to walk fast but at a pace Josh could keep up with. Until something burst out of the trees. Chris didn’t even think about what he did next. He pulled Josh behind a tree, tightening his grip around him.

“Oh my God, holy shit, holy fucking shit-”

“Chris, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

“There’s a thing, I don’t know, there’s like a-” Chris gulped. “Just stay still, fucking stay still and pray to God it doesn’t see us.”

Josh nodded and they stood there for a minute or so. When Chris finally worked up the courage to look around, he saw it had gone, so he pulled Josh back onto the path.

“Chris, what was it?”

“I- I don’t know, it looked- it looked like a monster. I don’t know.” Chris gasped, before vehemently spitting out every swear word he knew under his breath. When he’d finally calmed down a bit, he took Josh’s arm again and they headed towards the lodge. Just as they saw the doors, Josh stopped again.

“Chris, they’re back, they’re back-”

Josh pointed at the doors, and Chris assumed that Josh could see Beth and Hannah there again.

“Oh no. Josh, please, we have to get into the lodge. When we get into the lodge, it’ll be safe there-”

“No, no, no-”

“Josh, come on, try and shut your eyes again-”

“But I can hear them- I can hear them- _make them go away!_ ” Josh screamed, falling onto his knees. Chris rushed to his side immediately, putting an arm on his shoulder and shaking him.

“Josh, they’re not real, please-”

“It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault-”

“ _Guys! Guys, please, we’re out here_!”

“I won’t go- I won’t go with you- I didn’t want this to happen-”

“Josh, come on, breathe, we can get you out of here, maybe they can hear us- Ashley! Sam! We’re out here, we need help!”

“Chris?”

He didn’t hear the voice come from the lodge, but from in front of him. He eagerly looked over Josh’s shoulder only for his heart to freeze in place.

The monster was back.

“Chris!” That time it was behind him, back to the lodge, and he knew who it was. Ashley. The monster leaped towards them. Chris didn’t think about it- it was heading towards Josh, heading towards them, and he all he thought of was stopping it. He got up and lurched towards it only for it to grab him at the waist and hold him up high above the ground, Chris’ glasses falling into the snow beneath him.

“ _No!_ ”

Just as the hand of the monster grabbed his head, it’s claws digging into his skin, the smell of rotten flesh and decay filling the air, a gunshot went out.

He felt himself fall, and a shooting pain go up his calf as he fell awkwardly onto his leg.

Josh was backing towards the door, eyes wide, while a stranger stood behind them, shotgun in hand.

“ _Run, run!_ ” He screamed. Josh went to move forward as Chris stumbled to his feet, but the stranger grabbed him and threw him towards the lodge. Chris couldn’t see where he was going, all he could hear was the chorus of frantic yelling. Chris tried to run, tried to make it to the door-

But he wasn’t quick enough. Before the stranger could shoot again, Ashley, Sam, Mike and Josh all saw Chris stop, his eyes wide, before the blood poured from his neck and his head slid back onto the ice. The stranger didn’t hesitate to shoot again, before Mike and Sam dragged Josh and Ashley away, the both of them in hysterics.

“What happened? I couldn’t see-” Emily looked at Ashley and Josh, and put two and two together. She clapped her hands around her mouth. “No...”

“The piece of shit got him. Tore his fucking head off.” Mike kicked out at the wall. “He was _so damn close_.”

“It took his body.” Sam whispered, pointing out at the doors.

“I can’t believe this... No...” Ashley put her hands on the door, before sliding down onto her knees. “Fuck, fuck...”

Josh hit his head off the wall, loudly sobbing. Emily and the stranger stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do, while Sam comforted Ashley. Mike stood with his head in his hands, before turning to look at Josh.

“Why did you stop?”

Josh froze. “I saw- Beth and Hannah- but they weren’t real.” Josh mumbled. “It was my fault. Chris is dead and it’s my fault. He was right, I’m a coward, I’m a filthy coward.” Josh yelled and started hammering onto the wall. “It’s all my fault, it’s all my fucking fault-”

“Son, there was no way you could’ve helped him. If I’d let you go and help them there’d be two bodies for that fucker to feast on.” The stranger said, firmly but not harshly.

“But the prank-”

“Josh, even if this prank had never happened, considering what happened last year we’d be fighting for our lives if we came up this Godforsaken mountain anyway.” Sam told him. “Stop it. Chris didn’t save you for you to spend the rest of your life feeling guilty over him. He fucking dragged you through that forest because he knew there was a part of you worth saving. There is. You hear me? He wanted you to live, not just survive. We’re gonna make it home, we’re gonna get you on your meds and you’re gonna live and be grateful for it and thank God Chris existed and you were friends with him and make sure he didn’t die in his own nightmare for you never to escape yours. If I hear you say it’s your fault again I will slam your head into that wall.”

Josh sniffed, tears falling thick and fast down his face. Sam left Ashley’s side and hugged him, letting him cry into her shoulder. Emily, Ashley and the Stranger left the room, leaving Mike, Sam and Josh alone. Sam finally ended their embrace and patted him on the shoulder before leaving. Josh was left alone with Mike.

“Mike, I want to say, about Jess-”

“Even if you did do it,” Mike began, his expression solemn, “I think now, we can call each other even, give or take a few punches.”

Josh looked behind Mike’s shoulder, and saw Chris standing there with Hannah and Beth. Josh gulped before replying.

“In some shitty, messed-up kind of way, I guess you could.”


End file.
